The Chase
by NoraAnne1929
Summary: A typical foot pursuit turns into something more when the suspect disappears into a dead end...
1. Chapter 1

Okay guys... it's short, but I promise there's more to come. Hope you enjoy this little teaser. :)

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**The Chase**

Two determined men - one dressed in uniform blue, the other a man whose guilt seemed evident based on his flight from the scene. Legs pounded the pavement keeping time to a merciless rhythm...

The overpowering sound of heartbeats flooded through Jim Reed's entire body and echoed through his temple. Lungs worked overtime and muscles strained to keep up the demand for more speed.

The original call had been a 405 radio... When Unit 1-Adam-12 arrived at the location, a wiry man about 20 years old had burst out the front door and run down the street. Jim immediately leapt from the car and gave chase. Malloy followed in their black and white. The suspect showed absolutely no signs of tiring. Suddenly the man turned a corner. Jim Reed slid to a stop and peered around the edge of the building carefully.

Nothing.

A dead end?

The road had led to a brick retaining wall, which Jim estimated to be at least 12 feet high. The building by which it stood had no door and no window. A parade of ancient beer bottles marched along the ground in disorderly ranks. Discarded newspapers shuffled nervously in the light breeze.

"No one vanishes into thin air," was Jim's thought as he breathed heavily. He glanced back where they had come from... no sign of Pete. Reed had followed the suspect through several really tight alleys through which the patrol car would not pass. His partner had probably tried to get in front of them using another street.

Jim walked further into the area, in case an exit was somehow concealed. There was just no way to scale the wall and there didn't appear to be a way out. He turned to leave, disappointed that he had not been fast enough to stop the vanishing act.

"Hey_ Pig_!" A voice rang out from behind him.

Jim spun around in time to see a man standing on top of the wall. There was a mere second between the time that he heard the voice, turned, and the shot rang out. As he fell, he caught a glimpse of a sneering face and realized that this was not the man he had been chasing. Pain seared through his shoulder and the world disappeared into blackness.

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To be continued...


	2. Chapter 2

I'm sorry for the delay in posting... Thanks FFN Adam12 Guest for encouraging me to continue. The posts may be slow in coming, but I will finish the story. Hope you enjoy Chapter 2! :)

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Malloy would normally have followed Jim in foot pursuit, but their unit had not even come to a complete stop when the man bolted from the house. In his split second of reaction time, it seemed more practical to stay in the car and try to get in front using a side road.

Pete scanned the sidewalks and the apartment buildings that lined them. The streets intersected in typical Los Angeles fashion, forming grid-like patterns. When Jim and the suspect disappeared from view into what appeared to be an alley that was too small for the police car, Pete had continued going straight. A few streets up, he turned right and cut across to the next road. He was now headed back in the direction of the original address of the call.

He had already called in the pursuit and asked for another unit to assist. X-Ray-14 was on their way.

Suddenly a man burst into the road, directly in front of the black and white. Instantly Pete recognized him as the man they had been chasing - everything about his appearance matched the brief glimpse he'd had of the suspect. Though Malloy wasn't traveling above ten miles an hour, he still had to slam on the brakes to avoid a collision. The man stumbled and stared up dazedly. He tried to get up and continue his flight, but he was obviously winded and his legs gave way. Pete was out of the car in a second, within an arms length of the fallen man.

"Hold it right there," was the firm order.

"NO! LEAVE ME ALONE!" The man tried to scramble to his feet. "He told me what you would do! Get away! Get away!" Bloodshot eyes met Pete's clear blue ones with a panicked expression. "Stay away from me!" He brought his arm back to throw a punch, and Pete noticed the needle tracks on his inner elbow. Malloy blocked the blow easily and twisted the man's right arm behind his back, bringing him to the ground in a restraining hold. "NO! NO! HELP!" The suspect squirmed and twisted as handcuffs were placed on his wrists. "Leave Davy alone!"

"It is my duty to inform you of your rights." Pete began as he helped the man to his feet. "You have the right to remain silent..."

"Make them stop!" The man, who had identified himself as 'Davy' repeatedly tried to pull away from Pete's strong grasp.

"If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law."

"OHHHH! Let Davy go! Let me go, man! Please! Make them stop!"

"Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?"

Davy started mumbling incoherently to himself about light waves, aliens, and snow. "Beautiful snow. Pink snow. Green snow. Blue snow. White snow. Snow - everywhere snow. Make them stop. The aliens are melting my snow." His manner was now subdued and he looked at Pete with pleading. "_Please_ make them stop."

X-Ray-14 pulled up alongside while Pete was helping Davy into the backseat.

Woods poked his head out of the window. "Hey, you need some help?"

"Yeah, Jerry. Can you transport him to the station for me? I don't know where Jim is..."

"Sure Pete, sure. No problem." Jerry immediately got out of the car and took the suspect's arm.

Suddenly a gunshot cut through the air and all three officers' hearts stopped.

"Sanchez, take the prisoner and call in! Shots fired - officer needs help!" Pete ordered, with a tightness in his chest that he refused to acknowledge. "C'mon Jerry!" Both men took off running in the direction of the sound.

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Jim lay on the pavement where he had fallen. As consciousness slowly began to return, he became aware of a dull pounding at the back of his head. When he tried to open his eyes the surroundings started to spin and a sharp pain pierced through his left side. He doubled over with a groan and closed his eyes tightly again.

_Get up._ _You have to find Pete_.

As he tried to take a deep breath, Jim realized how much it hurt. He forced his eyes open this time, and as his vision cleared he remembered where he was.

"I hope Pete caught that guy..."

Jim's left hand pressed into his side and he felt blood oozing between his fingers. He tried to push himself up to a sitting position using his right arm, but fell back with another shooting pain.

_Get up. You have to find Pete_, the voice in his head persisted.

He rolled to the right and stopped to breathe again. This was going to be difficult.

"Jim!" All at once, a strong pair of hands supported him. Malloy knelt behind Jim on the ground, letting the wounded officer rest against him. Reed didn't have to ask who it was. "P-Pete? D-did you catch that guy?" he mumbled.

Pete looked up at Jerry who was standing nearby. "Yeah partner, we've got him in custody."

Jim sighed in relief. "G-good."

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A few hours later, Jim woke up and found himself not on the ground, but lying between bleached white hospital sheets. The lights were off, but a small amount of daylight still managed to make its way through the curtains. Jim turned his head and noticed a figure sitting in the chair nearby.

"Pete?"

"Jim!" Malloy was next to the bed in an instant.

"Hey Pete."

"How do you feel? Let me call for the nurse..."

"Hey, I'm alright."

"You really had me worried today."

"Who me? Why, it's just been a normal, dull afternoon." Jim teased, with a typical Reed grin.

Pete's forehead was creased with concern. "You had a bullet lodged in your side, partner. That's no joking matter."

"I'm okay, Pete. Really." As if to prove his point, Jim tried to sit up. "Ohhh..." he groaned as he sank back down on the pillow. "Maybe that's not such a great idea."

"You lie still. I'm getting the nurse." Pete started to leave, then turned around when Jim called his name.

"Pete, wait a second... I won't try to get up. I have a question."

"What?"

"Who was the guy I was chasing?"

"We're still not sure. He called himself 'Davy', but that's all I know. He was so high we couldn't get any coherent answers to our questions. He just keeps mumbling about snow and aliens."

"Where did you finally catch up with him?"

"He practically ran into the unit as I was looking for you." Pete paused. "Jim, what happened in that alley?"

"Beats me, Pete. One second I was running behind that track star, the next I was stretched out on the pavement. The guy vanished, Pete. Just vanished into thin air."

"But where did the shot come from? Did you see anyone?"

"No, I just..." Jim stopped in mid-sentence. "Wait a minute! There was a face..."

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To be continued...


End file.
